Long Time Coming
by Caty Jane
Summary: A What If? Story involving Naley. What if Chris came into the picture sooner and Haley, unmarried and at the beginning stages of a relationship with Nathan, decides to go on tour earlier? How would all their lives be changed?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone, it's me again! I know I haven't finished Heart of the Matter, and I haven't forgotten it, so don't worry! It will be up shortly. I was away in London this past semester for school, and every second of my time was taken up, which is why I've been horrible and not updating. But I'm back! So get excited and please review and tell me how you like this very first installment of my new story!**

**Long Time Coming**

Haley's mind was a whirlwind of details. She blinked as Brooke adjusted her hair into a perfect formal hairstyle. When she was free from Brooke's clutches, she escaped quickly out the bridal suite of the church under the pretence of checking that the floral arrangements were in place. Brooke rolled her eyes at her compulsive tendencies, but let her leave, knowing that she needed a minute to breathe before the wedding.

Everything was perfect. Haley and Brooke had seen to that. The place cards were beautiful, the bridesmaid dresses were specially designed by Brooke, and the flower arrangements were in place.

Haley walked to the window and looked outside to ascertain whether or not the sun-streaked sky was continuing to hold back the clouds that seemed determined to entrench upon this day. The day was holding, however, and the clouds showed no sign of rain.

Brooke came out to find Haley, who gave her a smile and returned to the bridal dressing area. She held out her dress, and Haley stepped into it.

"Brooke, this is the most beautiful dress I have ever worn. Thank you for making it. I feel like a princess."

"Hales, of course. Besides," she winked conspiratorially, "you could never buy a dress this amazing." She handed Haley her bouquet of calla lilies-her favorite flower-and told her again how beautiful she looked.

Haley expected to feel her nerves acting up more than they were. The wedding, the planning, everything she expected to make her more anxious. Making a last check on the continued perfection of everything in sight, she glanced once again in the mirror before telling the bridesmaids that she was ready.

Her sister Vivien, heavy with her fourth child and the hormones that child brought, smiled with tears in her eyes as Haley stepped out the door of the suite. "You're gorgeous, Haley-Bop," she said. "The picture of beauty."

"Oh, Vivien," Haley rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She shifted sideways and got a glimpse of her father, who was uncomfortably tugging at the tie of his tuxedo. "Daddy," she walked toward her father. "Stop pulling." She gave her father a shaky smile as she felt tears start to pool in her eyes.

Her ears pounded, and Haley took a deep breath. The bridal march must have begun, because Haley saw the bridesmaids begin their ascent up the aisle and toward the alter. Then it was Haley's turn. The calla lilies shook in her hands and her arms felt like jelly. As she took that first step down the aisle, legs shaking, she, for the first time that day, looked at the groom.

Their eyes locked and Haley saw the love outpouring as he stared. His eyes watched her the entire walk down the aisle, propelling her forward. His gaze strengthened her, and the first shot of butterflies hit her already uneasy stomach.

She finally made it to her position and nodded to the priest to begin the ceremony. His eyes still bore holes into her overly-heated skin until she looked pointedly toward the priest in an effort to force his attention back to the ceremony. After giving her his signature smirk, he complied, and became more serious than Haley had ever before seen him.

Solemn for the remainder of the ceremony, his eyes continued to mark her progress throughout. As he repeated the priest's words and marked the marriage vows with a ring, he never drew his eyes away from her.

And when it was time for the groom to kiss the bride, the congregation applauded boisterously. The photographer's flashes momentarily stunned Haley before she remembered to smile.

She handed the bridal bouquet back to Taylor, watched as her sister took Chris's arm as the congregation rose in their seats to honor the newly-married couple. She watched as Taylor's face lit up with pleasure, and watched as her own dreams walked back up the aisle and out the church door without her. She watched as Brooke looked into her tear-streaked face and squeezed her hand in silent support, and watched as the maid of honor, Taylor's best friend, laughed at her tears and chalked them up to sentimental feelings about her sister's wedding. She watched her parents hug Taylor, and watched as the rest of the James family divided their attention between her and her sister, unsure what exactly was going on.

She watched her dreams slip away, and she plastered a smile on her face for the pictures before walking out the door.

Next was the reception.


	2. Hellogoodbye

**A/N: I do not own OTH or its characters. Also, it seems like some of you were confused, so I've offered an explanation! Yay!**

**Haley left on tour with Chris right after she and Nathan went on the date orchestrated by Brooke in Season 1. After about a year, she and Chris started dating, and dated for about 5 years. Because she was gone, and didn't return (she and Nathan weren't married after all,) a lot of things changed. **

**Clothes over Bros, which was Haley's way of making Brooke feel better, to actually make her designs a reality, never happened. Brooke does own a boutique in Tree Hill, however, called B. Davis. **

**Haley wasn't in the school at the school shooting, so Nathan didn't go in to save her. He held Lucas back, who wanted to go in to save Peyton. Brooke and Lucas never broke up, because there never was a school shooting kiss, and they are still together.**

**Keith never died because he didn't go in after Lucas. Dan found out about Deb trying to kill him, but besides threatening her, never did anything. He never went to jail.**

**Peyton survived the shooting, but was hospitalized because of her blood loss. Jake heard about the shooting and Peyton, and came back to Tree Hill, bringing Jenny and Nikki with him. He and Nikki are getting along, and he and Peyton now live together. **

**Nathan never got in with Dante and never had money problems. It was Haley's idea for him to get emancipated, so he never did because she left before she could suggest it. He never got in a car accident, and never got in the hospital after his near drowning. He continued to do well in basketball, and went to Duke University on scholarship. He got drafted to the Charlotte Bobcats as point guard. He did become somewhat nicer, after getting reamed by Haley for a while, but continued on in his man-whore ways throughout college.**

**Haley came back from tour about a year ago, and has been teaching piano lessons in Tree Hill.**

**I hope this makes sense! Sorry for all the confusion. That's what happens when one character is missing from a story, though. It changes everything….Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Hellogoodbye**

"Hey, buddy," Lucas said softly.

Haley looked up from her seat on the bench of the balcony outside the reception hall. "So you found me, huh?"

"Well," Lucas started dramatically, "when the prettiest girl is missing from the party, I tend to take notice."

Haley scoffed. "First of all, don't let Brooke hear you say that. Secondly, this isn't a 'party.' It's my sister's wedding. To my boyfriend."

Lucas smiled at her, his eyes full of sadness for his best friend.

"Oh no," Haley said strongly, standing from her seat. "Don't you feel sorry for me. You know I hate that."

"I just wanted to see if I could get my best friend to dance with me," Lucas held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Call me crazy," Haley stuck her hands on her hips. "But I am just not in the mood for celebrating."

"Haley," Lucas began, "look, I know you probably don't want to hear this right now but everyone is wondering where you are and thinks you've lost it. Your Aunt Mindy thinks you jumped off the balcony and she won't stop telling people that. You have to go back in and show everyone you're fine, and that you can handle this."

"Why?" Haley bit off. "Why do I have to pretend I'm fine when I'm not?"

"Because! Because Taylor is a bitch and Chris is a bitch and I won't have my best friend being verbally trampled on because she was forced to be a bridesmaid at the worst atrocity Tree Hill has ever been a party to!"

Haley sighed. "That's really sweet, Luke. But," she said with a hint of her old slyness, "Brooke and I planned this whole wedding so you better not be talking smack on it."

"Talking smack? Oh, Haley. So what do you say? Can I have this dance?" he held out his hand dramatically.

"Of course, Lucas. Thank you." She started to allow him to lead her toward the reception hall before she turned and asked abruptly, "Wait, Aunt Mindy thinks I jumped off the balcony? We're on the second floor! It's like the smallest jump ever. I wouldn't even hurt myself!"

"Yeah," Lucas reasoned, "but you could make a break for it."

"Aunt Mindy," Haley said appreciatively. "Smarter than she looks."

Lucas grinned as he pulled her close to dance. He continued to talk incessantly, Haley knew, to keep her mind off the wedding. Once the song ended, Haley convinced Lucas to ask Brooke to dance (which she accomplished only by swearing on the grave of her old bunny, Bunny, that she wouldn't jump off the balcony and make a break for it.)

All of a sudden, an all-too-familiar voice interrupted her musings on the authenticity of her sister's current breasts. "May I have this dance?"

Haley turned slowly, knowing that every second she dallied was one second less she would have to look at Chris Keller's face. She didn't look at him for long, knowing she was barely holding it together as it was. But when she started to walk away from him, intent on passing the entire evening without speaking to the groom, his hand snatched out to enclose her wrist, effectively pinning her in place. Not wanting to cause a scene, apart from the obvious one in which Taylor married Haley's boyfriend, Haley steeled herself before turning back to look at Chris.

"Please, Haley," came Chris's whispered plea. "Just a dance?"

She nodded her acquiescence and allowed Chris to hold her in his arms. For a few minutes, she let herself pretend that he was her boyfriend again, and not her new brother-in-law.

"Haley," he whispered. "Haley. You have to know I never wanted to hurt you. Please, you have to know it was always you."

"Except those weeks when it wasn't always me, right, Chris? Or, should I say wasn't always _just_ me?"

"Haley, I was an idiot. I love you, and you know that."

"You love me?" Haley whispered, suddenly exhausted by the emotional weight of the last two months. She felt her eyes begin to fill with hot tears. "Then why did you just marry my sister?"

"Haley, you know why. You were the one who told me I should marry Taylor. But I don't love her."

"Well, Chris, then you shouldn't have married her. That isn't fair to either of you."

"She's pregnant," Chris sounded as exhausted as Haley felt. "Despite what people believe, I'm not the asshole I used to be. And that's because of you, Haley. You made me a better person."

"Yeah," Haley said bitterly. "Just not better enough to resist cheating on my with my sister."

"Haley, I'm sorry. It was a mistake!"

"A mistake? It was four weeks of mistakes. We aren't talking about a one-time thing, here, Chris."

"But I still love you." He gripped her hand. "Haley, I thought about you the whole ceremony. You look beautiful tonight. I wish it was you I was marrying."

"Well, Chris, it's too late for that now." Haley started to get herself more and more worked up. She didn't want to make a scene, and therefore was eternally grateful when she heard a deep voice behind her.

"Excuse me," he said. "May I cut in?"

Haley turned around and looked up into the mischievous smirk that was usually plastered on Nathan Scott's face.


	3. Dance, Dance

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! You guys rock! I don't own OTH.**

**Chapter 3: Dance, Dance**

"Buzz off," Chris muttered angrily.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Nathan acted the perfect polite gentleman. "I was asking the beautiful lady. What do you say, Hales? Do you want to dance?"

She gave an ungraceful jerk of her head, eager to be away from Chris and the drama accompanying him. Nathan swept her away in his arms, and allowed her to compose herself before speaking.

"Well, Nathan Scott," she said playfully, in a way that didn't fool Nathan for a minute. "It does seem that you're my knight in shining armor."

Nathan made a dramatic pause, looking at her intently. "Well, now that my life goal has been completed, what am I supposed to do?"

Haley smiled and ignored the jib. "What are you doing here, Nathan? I don't remember seeing your name on the guest list. And I wrote the guest list, so…"

"Oh, I crashed," Nathan said confidently.

"You crashed?" Haley raised her one of her eyebrows to enhance her disbelieving tone.

"Yeah," Nathan answered, undeterred by the second eyebrow shooting up as well. "Haven't you ever seen Wedding Crashers, Hales?" He bent down so that his mouth was close to her ear. "At the end of the night, the crashers always score. So, what do you say, Haley James? Should we pick up where we left off?"

Haley sputtered inelegantly. "Left off? Nathan we had like one date six years ago! I hardly think that constitutes…" she trailed off as she saw he was laughing at her. Smacking him on the arm, she said, "You're making fun of me."

Nathan instantly sobered. "Oh, never. Rule number 467: Never make fun of a potential hook-up, especially if she is a bridesmaid." He gave his smirk, and Haley retaliated with another hit to his arm.

"There is no rule. I've seen the movie, moron."

"I can't help it," Nathan momentarily released Haley to hold his arms up high. "I _have_ to flirt with pretty girls."

Haley blushed quickly.

"Relax, Haley. I'm joking. You know, people do it sometimes? I make a joke, you laugh, and touch my arm playfully? And let me just say that you are not holding up your part, here."

"Sorry," Haley sighed. "I'm not really in the mood for laughing."

"I can see that. Listen, Haley, I'm sorry about this whole thing-"

"Yeah, yeah," Haley waved him aside. "Chris is an asshole. That's what everyone says."

"Actually, I was going to say Taylor is a slut."

Haley felt a giggle bubble up in her throat.

"There you go," Nathan coached. "That was almost a laugh. Now all we need is the playful flirting."

Haley shook her head. "So if you aren't here to hook up with the bridesmaids-"

"Which I clearly said I was-"

"-Then why are you crashing this joke of a wedding?"

"Eh, I heard about it from Lucas. I figured I should come to congratulate Taylor. And make it really awkward for her. It was the least I could do after what she did to you."

"Why would Taylor seeing you be awkward?" Haley asked, oddly touched by his wanting to get back at her sister for her sake.

"Because we slept together," Nathan said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I thought you knew."

"How would I know?" Haley stage-whispered. "You slept with my sister?"

Nathan shrugged, unrepentant. "I told you she was a slut."

"Great," Haley breathed. "Taylor slept with the only two guys I ever liked."

"Cheer up, Hales," Nathan grinned. "Taylor isn't even that hot anymore. She looks a little weird in fact. Definitely not hot."

"She's pregnant," Haley gritted through her teeth, tired of the topic.

Nathan's face held such an expression of horror that Haley almost laughed. "Pregnant! So that's why they're getting married!"

"Keep your voice down," Haley said. "Didn't Lucas tell you that part of the story?"

"No." He blinked. "But now it makes sense. I wondered how you and Chris could date each other for what, five years, and not get married. Then all of the sudden, out of nowhere, he's getting married to Taylor!"

"Yeah, yeah," Haley said. "Believe me, I've heard it from everyone else in here. My aunt even called me up to complain that the invitations were wrong because they had Taylor's name on them instead of mine."

"Doesn't your aunt know she's pregnant?"

"No, only a few people do. My mom wanted to keep it under wraps until after the wedding. You know, traditional and everything. Also, my mom thought Taylor's wedding dress was a little trashy for a pregnant woman to wear."

Nathan eyed Taylor's dress. "It is a little trashy," he agreed, surprising Haley.

"Well, Brooke didn't make it. She's walking around letting everyone know it isn't her design. But," Haley fingered an edge of her bridesmaid dress, "these are her creations. Aren't they beautiful?"

"Well," Nathan said slowly, "I don't know much about fashion, but I do know that you look beautiful in it."

"Nathan Scott!" Haley pretended to look offended, but Nathan caught the hint of smile on her face. "I thought you were a charmer in high school, but I can see you've upped your game!"

Nathan just smirked. They smiled at each other for a few seconds too long, before he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um, so, tell me. How did you and Brooke end up as bridesmaids at this wedding?"

Haley pulled a face. "Well, Brooke did it for me. Taylor doesn't really have any girl friends besides Kristen, the maid of honor, since-"

"Since she sleeps with all their boyfriends."

"I was going to say," Haley glared at the interruption, "that she get along better with guys. But, yeah, that works, too. Anyway, I kind of made Brooke do it for solidarity."

"But you'd think Taylor wouldn't want you at her wedding, either, you know?"

"Yeah, well," Haley shrugged. "She probably just wanted me to have the perfect view of her snatching my boyfriend."

Nathan looked at her intently. "I'm not so good at the emotional stuff. Can I interest you in a front-row seat to me beating Keller's ass."

Haley smiled and shook her head. "Can I possible have a raincheck?"

"Redeemable at any time."

"Thank you." She squeezed his arm. "I was dreading this, but I probably put in enough time here and can finally leave. You made it totally more bearable."

"Of course."

She looked around the room. "I think that was about four songs. Sorry for monopolizing you!"

"That's okay, Hales. I came to see you."

Haley looked into his eyes. "I'm glad you did. Are you staying with Lucas? I'll come and see you before you have to leave."

"I am. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Miss James."

"You can count on it, Nathan."

PLEASE review!!


	4. When Do You Think It Will All Be Clear?

**A/N: I do not own OTH or the title, which comes from the Lily Allen song "The Fear"**

**Chapter 4: When Do You Think It Will All Become Clear?**

Haley groaned as she rolled over in her bed. Blinking rapidly, she tried to piece together the night before, discerning whether or not it was real or a nightmare that her sister married her ex-boyfriend. Her hand reached up to run through her hair, which still boasted the remnants of Brooke's over-enthusiastic hairspraying techniques and groaned again.

"Oh, I thought I heard you," Brooke chirped as she stuck her head in the doorway. She bounded for the bed, shoving Haley to one side.

"Brooke," Haley sighed. "I am so not in the mood for one of your cheering up sessions right now."

"Well, I'm sorry, Haley, but it's a little too late for that."

"Oh, god, please tell me you didn't call-"

"I brought ice cream!" a voice came from the hallway as Brooke tossed Haley her patented sheepish look.

"You called Peyton?" Haley accused. "You guys really don't have to do this. In fact, I'd prefer if you didn't."

"Look," Brooke explained. "I thought we'd need reinforcements."

"I don't," Haley bit off.

"Well," Peyton popped onto the bed. "That's too bad because we are not going to let you sit around and sulk all day."

Brooke giggled conspiratorily.

"I'm not going to sulk." Haley acted affronted.

"You're sulking right now," Brooke rebutted quickly.

"Ugh," Haley moaned and stuck her head under her pillow. "Don't I have the right to sulk a little? My only boyfriend ever, the man that I had planned on spending my life with, is married. To my sister," she continued, the rest becoming incoherent.

"What?" Peyton interrupted the mumbling. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't hear any of that."

"Shut up," Brooke wacked her with a pillow. "Haley, listen. I will not stand for this type of behavior. So, come on, get out of bed. Get dressed. And for god's sake run a brush through your hair." She turned toward Peyton, a knowing look on her face. "I knew she would be like this," she said confidently.

"What, do you want a medal, you jerk?" Peyton's sarcasm was evident.

"Cute," Brooke shot back. "You talk to your daughter like that?"

"As a matter of fact," Peyton continued their argument. "Jenny is way less annoying than you, so it's not necessary to talk to her the way I am forced to speak to you."

"She's six!" Brooke yelled indignantly. "Give her till she's about eleven and then we'll see who's more annoying."

"Oh, don't I know it. If I'm being honest, I can even see a bit of attitude sparking in her-"

"Oh my god," Haley breathed. "You _two_ are annoying. You. Two. Together. Ugh." She rolled from the bed, landing on her feet. "Alright, I'm out of bed. Are you happy? What more do you want from me?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked, Tutor Girl," Brooke said with such a diabolical glint in her eye that Haley immediately wished she hadn't asked. "First we're going over to Lucas' house for breakfast, followed by a day of wardrobe-hunting for your family reunion. Because if you have to go to that shitshow, you have to look hot."

"Ugh," Haley groaned again. "There is no way I am going to my family reunion anymore, guys. Taylor and Chris will be there. Together."

"Haley," Brooke said sternly. "You have been looking forward to this reunion ever since last year's ended! You don't get to see your brothers that often, and I know how you love all those nieces and nephews! I will not let you miss this because of those two STD-filled whores!"

"Fine. But they better appreciate what a good aunt I am."

"I'm sure next to Taylor you'll look like a stunning example of filial love," Peyton quipped.

"That's true," Haley grumbled reluctantly.

"Hey, Rock Star Girl," Brooke interrupted. "That reminds me. I saw you dancing with one Nathan Scott last night…" she trailed off, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Yeah," Haley answered, padding over to her dresser to pick up her hairbrush. "He saved me from Chris' emotional tirade of love."

"Gross," Brooke made a disgusted face.

"Alright," Peyton clapped her hands together. "Enough chit-chat. Let's get this show on the road."

"Look who got herself a kid and became bossy," Brooke murmured conspiratorily.

"I think you may be rubbing off on her," Haley stage-whispered back.

"Shut up, Teacher Girl," Brooke shoved her, knocking the brush out of her hand. "Now get dressed."

The trio arrived at Lucas' apartment less than an hour later. Surprise was written on his face as he opened the door to reveal the three women, presentable.

"I thought you three would have been much later," he smiled as Brooke hopped through the doorway, stopping to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Such attitude," Haley admonished, following her friends in. "You know we can never arrive in a timely fashion with Brooke as our friend."

"I heard that!" echoed from down the hallway as a mockingly-indignant Brooke began to prepare breakfast.

"Hey, Luke," Haley said in a much quieter tone. "Thank you for being great last night. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, Hales," he slung his arm around her shoulder. "You won't ever have to find out, will you?"

"Hey, everyone," came Nathan's voice. "What's cooking, good looking?" he wiggled his eyebrow at Haley.

Haley rolled her eyes in response.

"Okay, okay," Brooke said. "Let's go. We've got to eat breakfast quickly, because after that, it's shopping time!"

Haley groaned. "I really can't even imagine this reunion at all. It's going to be insane. I just don't want to go." Aware she sounded like a petulant child, Haley continued to make a face at Brooke.

"Maybe Chris won't go," Peyton said hopefully. "I mean, he's never gone to these things with you before, has he? Like, when he was dating you?"

"Yeah, thanks," Haley rolled her eyes again. "I know what 'before' means. And he can't skip it. He's married now. Spouses are required to attend the James Games. Boyfriends and girlfriends are only optional."

"Well, on the bright side," chirped Brooke, "your brothers are going to murder him when he comes."

"I know you have all these 'rules,'" Peyton air-quoted, "for your family reunions, but who enforces them? I mean, does it really matter if Chris doesn't show? I totally wouldn't if I were Chris. He is going into enemy territory, here."

"Please," Haley said. "My mom may seem lax, and she definitely left me to my own devices in high school, but she is all about these annual James reunions. It was after she hadn't seen my brother Brendan's daughters Claire and Emma for a year once, and she threw a classic 'Lydia James Shit Fit.' Ever since, we've had very strict rules regarding family reunions. No one wants to mess with my mother."

"Gotcha," Peyton said thoughtfully. "That's totally the kind of mom I'm going to be. Maybe she can give me some pointers."

"What, P. Sawyer?" Brooke snorted. "You planning on having more kids soon, or something?"

"God, no," Peyton sighed. "But Jenny alone can be a handful, and well, you know…Jake and I want Jenny to have a sibling fairly soon."

"Peyton!" Brooke got misty. "Are you talking about having a baby soon?"

"Yeah," Peyton laughed. "How grown up am I?" The girls laughed.

After a pause, Haley added, "Look. I know I said all that about my mom and the rules, but I don't know if I can do this. Especially with Chris and Taylor there. And me. All alone. Alone forever."

"That's it!" Brooke jumped excitedly.

"Alone forever?" Peyton asked sarcastically.

"No, asshole," Brooke squeaked. "Haley, you bring a boy to this thing! You don't have to be alone! You bring someone! It's perfect. You won't look lonely, and Chris and Taylor don't win. Yay!"

"Yeah, just one problem, Brooke. Who? Who is going to voluntarily subject themselves to the 4th annual James Games? Because Chris wouldn't even go when he was my boyfriend!"

"Uh, probably because you call them the 'James Games,'" Peyton interceded helpfully.

"You could have my boyfriend," Brooke volunteered.

"Thanks, Brooke," Haley said sarcastically. "Because my family doesn't know Lucas or anything after all these years."

"What about Peyton's boyfriend?" Brooke asked.

"Hey!" Peyton protested.

"That could work," Haley deliberated.

"What if you don't bring any of our boyfriends?" Peyton said.

"Well," Haley annunciated. "Then we would be back at square one."

"No, no. What if you don't bring our boyfriends, but pretend you have your own boyfriend," Peyton continued.

"I mean," Haley frowned, "we would still need to figure out some poor, unsuspecting guy that would come to this awful reunion."

"Well," Peyton said, pausing. "What if you bring Nathan Scott?"

Haley grimaced, but Brooke clapped her hands in excited agreement. "That would be perfect! Chris already used to be jealous of Nathan, remember, Hales?"

"Yeah, I guess because we were sort of dating when I left for the tour. But, still, I don't know. Nathan? Why would he want to come?"

"Why would Nathan want to come where?" a voice from the doorway came, and the three girls turned to see Nathan Scott standing there.

Crap.

**Please review! I know I have been horribly negligent in updating, but I can promise more updates, and promise I will because I already have the other chapters written. So if you can forgive me and review, I promise to have the next chapters up soon. It's only going to get better….**


	5. Foundations

A/N: I do not own OTH or the title of this chapter which comes from the song by Kate Nash.

**Chapter 5: Foundations**

The girls all answered simultaneously:

"Nowhere!"

"Nothing."

"Oh, to go to Haley's family reunion next week!" Brooke said.

"Brooke!" Haley snapped.

"What's this?" Nathan raised an eyebrow into an arrogant arch.

Everyone turned to Haley and looked at her in silence. "Actually," Haley mustered her courage. "I was wondering if you would take a walk with me, Nathan."

"But breakfast!" Brooke's whine came from the kitchen where she had happily pranced.

"Brooke's cooking?" Nathan pulled a face. "Then in that case, I'd love to." He gripped Haley's hand and pulled her outside, shutting the door on Brooke's complaining mutterings.

They walked a few paces before Haley turned to face Nathan. "Look, I think we need to talk. I feel so guilty, and so awkward about everything all those years ago, in high school. I feel like I should apologize. I wish I could have…seen where…" she paused. "This is hard to say. I guess I just mean that I know we were sort of heading…down that path of…dating or whatever, and then I just left, and I'm really sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Nathan said softly. "You took a chance at your dream. I can't fault you for that. And look where it led you! You couldn't have stayed for me. We had barely even begun. But," his face took on his signature smirk. "There was no other girl that could match you Haley James."

Haley smiled and swatted at his arm. "Charmer." She sighed. "I think I got swept away with Chris and the tour and everything he could offer me. And I don't regret it, I don't, because I got two records and a solo career out of it."

"And you got interviewed by Oprah."

"How did you know that?" Haley laughed.

"I saw it," Nathan shrugged noncommittally.

"Well, even with the Oprah," Haley's grin faded. "It was lonely, you know?"

"But you had Chris," Nathan pointed out, and they turned the corner to continue meandering around the block.

Haley paused, as if deliberating something important. "And sometimes that made it all the more difficult. He was on tour, and then so was I, so mostly I spent our relationship communicating with him over the phone. But now I think I took even that for granted. Because even though it felt lonely at the time, I always had the safety net of a boyfriend, right?"

"Sure," Nathan said. "I mean, I dated millions of girls in college, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't lonely sometimes."

"Exactly," Haley smiled, then hesitated. "Look, Nathan, I asked you on this walk for a reason."

"Ulterior motives?" Nathan raised an eyebrow. "And in one so young and beautiful. What is the world coming to?"

"Ha, ha," she rolled her eyes. "But I do actually need a favor."

"Oh," Nathan's face adopted a surprised look. "Well, I can't say I haven't thought about it, Hales. Hmm," he stroked his chin thoughtfully while Haley regarded him with a confused expression. "Okay, sure. Sure, let's do it. Let's have sex. Finally. Some closure after our brief love affair all those sad lonely years ago."

Haley's mouth gaped open, but no words came out for a few moments. Then, "Wha-What?"

"Sex, you know. Don't be shy, now, Haley."

"Oh," Haley sputtered. "That isn't what I…that is, I didn't mean-"

Nathan suddenly threw his head back with a violent laugh. "Relax, I'm teasing you."

She smacked his arm. "Shut up! This is really hard for me, here, Nathan."

Nathan held his hands up. "Sorry, sorry. Couldn't resist."

"Try," she bit out. She breathed heavily. "Okay." She took another deep breath before explaining the situation to Nathan, trying to make herself sound as un-pathetic as was possibly with what she was proposing. "So," she finished. "What do you say? Will you come with me to my family reunion? All I'm asking is for the weekend. After that, I'll make some excuse about why you have to leave early. And I'll do whatever you want in return."

"Whatever I want?"

"Within reason," Haley bartered. She sighed, "Look, I know this sounds ridiculous. And I know I sound pathetic and I haven't seen you for 6 years and other than tutoring you and that one date-"

"And the kiss."

She blushed. "And the kiss. What I'm trying to say is that I know we weren't very close and I'm asking a lot of you here, but I'd really appreciate it."

Nathan paused to consider the proposal. "First of all," he said, "I don't think you're pathetic. I think you got served a fast one from both Chris and your sister. Second, I'd like to think we did know each other pretty well. You talked me through the whole Peyton thing, and gave me a chance when my teachers gave up on me. So third," he smiled. "I'd love to."

"You'll come with me?" Haley tried not to sound too eager.

"I will."

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" She threw her arms around his neck exuberantly.

"Don't thank me yet," Nathan's grin seemed menacing. "This isn't a favor; this is a bargain. And you haven't heard my end."

"Well? What is it?"

"Oh," Nathan stretched as if disinterested. "I haven't decided yet. But I'll let you know when I do."

Haley rolled her eyes again. "Well, on that note, we'd better get back inside. Pick me up on Friday?"

"Perfect."

They walked inside arm in arm, one feeling extremely relieved, the other feeling extremely content, wishing he could know the reason why.

**Please review!**


	6. Everyone's At It

**A/N: I do not own OTH or the Lily Allen song Everyone's At It**

**Chapter 6: Everyone's At It**

The car ride the following week up to the lake house was interesting, to say the least. Nathan had forgotten how easy it was to talk to Haley. He found himself telling her about Duke, the culmination of all his father's dreams. He told her how exciting it was to be drafted by the Bobcats, leaving out the part about how his nerves had gotten the best of him the night of, resulting in his getting ill.

Before he realized it, they had made it to the Jersey Shore, where every year, Lydia and Jimmy James rented a mansion in order to accommodate the entire enormous family.

"Your family is way too big," Nathan complained. "How will I ever be able to keep them all straight?"

"Well," said Haley matter-of-factly. "You already know me. And you know Taylor and Chris. My parents will be easy to recognize. Then there are only two sisters, four brothers, two brothers-in-law, and one sister-in-law. Oh, and my nine nieces and nephews."

"Oh, sure," Nathan said sarcastically. "That should be simple."

"You'll figure it out," Haley laughed as she got out of the car. Before she had even shut the door, a young boy of about three or four bolted towards her, wrapping his arms around her legs.

"Auntie Hawwy! I was watching from the porch for forever!"

In less than five seconds, two more boys, both around five, and one little girl around two had all wrapped themselves around Haley, vying for her attention. One of the older boys stepped back after a moment and looking at Nathan questioningly.

"Are you our new Uncle Chris?" he asked distrustfully.

"No," Haley interjected, lifting the little girl into her arms. "This is my friend Nathan."

"Oh," the boy continued. "Well, that's good for you, 'cause Daddy says he's gonna wipe his ass with our new Uncle Chris."

Nathan burst our laughing while Haley looked sternly at the young boy. "Aiden, is that appropriate?"

"I don't know. What's appwopwiate mean?"

"It means you shouldn't repeat everything your Daddy says, okay?"

"Okay, Auntie Hawwy."

"Alright, come on, kids, let's go say hi to everyone," Haley rounded the group of children in just as a group of men walked toward them.

"Boy," Nathan whispered to Haley, "am I glad your brothers don't want to wipe their asses with me."

Six men stood before them, staring Nathan down. He tried not to feel intimidated; after all, he was an NBA player. But, he reasoned, they outnumbered him. And as small as Haley was, her brothers were quite large.

Haley jumped excitedly, hugging her brothers, looking like a little girl anticipating Christmas. A pang of jealousy went through Nathan as he realized she had a huge family and he had practically no one other than Lucas.

"Boys," she addressed the pack of men, "this is my friend Nathan. Nathan, this is going to be easier if I do this in order of age. First is Mark, my brother-in-law, married to my sister, Quinn, with three kids. Next is my brother, Brendan, married to Liz, with two kids. Then my brother-in-law Phil, married to Vivian, with three kids. My brothers Colin, Matt, and Josh are next, with no wives or kids. Then, of course, is Taylor, followed by yours truly. My sisters are still inside, and we can finish the nieces and nephews later."

Nathan shook himself out of his overwhelmed state long enough to shake hands with Haley's brothers.

"There'll be a quiz later," came a joking voice, and Nathan turned to see Lydia James coming closer, carrying a baby as she approached the group. "Hey, kids," she said to the children still glued to Haley, "there are popsicles inside!"

A chorus of yells ensued and every child ran into the house. Lydia turned to the newcomers. "Oh, Haley-Bop, I've missed you," she hugged her daughter, passing off the baby to Mark. "And Nathan," she smiled, her arms outstretched as if to welcome another child home. "Don't you let these hooligans threaten you, Nathan."

"Don't worry too much about Nathan, Mom," Brendan piped up. "We're saving most of our threatening for that asshole Keller."

"Brendan!" Lydia admonished. "Baby Henry is here!"

"He's sleeping!" Brendan protested. "And he's one, so he doesn't know what I'm even saying."

"I don't like your tone, young man."

"Thirty-two years old and I'm still being yelled at by my mother."

"No back talk, Brendan," Lydia laughed. "Now boys," she turned to the entire group of large men, "before Taylor and Chris get here, do we need to go over the rules again? Because I'm expecting them bright and early tomorrow, and I don't want to have to deal with you if you break my rules."

"Mom," Colin whined, sounding like a much-younger version of himself. "You already made us all swear on the Bible in the house. You really are going too far!"

Nathan made a choking sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

"Mom?" Haley asked. "You really made them swear on the Bible?"

"Haley," Lydia's voice took on a motherly edge to it. "My main goal is to keep the peace in this family. As a mother, I want all of my children to be happy. And that-" she directed her gaze back to the six grown men-"means that you must be polite to your new brother."

"He's not really our brother, Lydia," Phil said, gesturing to himself and Mark.

"You two are the worst," Lydia affectionately wagged her finger at her sons-in-law. "I know my sons may not be angels, but you two…you two are just bad influences."

"What category do I fall under?" Nathan mused. "Bad influence?"

"Oh, no, of course, not, Nathan," Lydia smiled largely at Nathan. "I'm sure you will be on your best behavior. But these six boys are mischevious and I have no doubt they will do something to Chris."

"Well within in our right," Mark grumbled.

"See what I mean?" Lydia exclaimed. "Sons-in-law are bad influences! You are so much more difficult than daughters-in-law," she faked an affected sigh.

"Do you think Liz would say the same about mothers and fathers-in-law?" Phil nudged Brendan jokingly.

Lydia sighed again, but the smile on her face let Nathan see that she was enjoying the time spent with her family. "Okay, boys," she said. "You must re-promise me that you will not harm a hair on Chris Keller's head. He is part of this family now, no matter how strange it may be, and we must make him feel welcome. So play nice. Promise?"

"Promise," the men mock-grumbled. Lydia smiled indulgently at them, reached for baby Henry and walked back to help Jimmy deal with the popsicle-grandchildren situation.

"Hey," Colin spoke up as soon as Lydia was out of the line of vision. "You know what, guys? We promised Mom not to touch a hair on Keller's head. We just won't touch his hair. We can still mess with the rest of him."

The rest of the group stood in silence for a minute, the boys looking at Colin like he was a moron. "Duh," Josh finally said. "That's why we promised Mom, you idiot. Because we found the loophole. Now we can keep our promise to Mom and still have our fun with Keller."

"Oh," Colin muttered, flummoxed.

Mark turned to face Nathan. "You in?"

Nathan grinned. "Messing with Chris Keller? Hell yes, I'm in!"

Haley rolled her eyes, and moved to grab her suitcase before leading Nathan into the house.

**Please review!! I promise more James Family Fun!**


	7. Tied Together With A Smile

**A/N: I do not own OTH or the title of this chapter, which comes from a song by Taylor Swift**

**Sorry I took so long...my computer crashed! I was so bummed because I only kept my already-written chapters on this computer, so that's why the wait was long. I did promise not to make you guys wait, so I apologize. Also, more i son its way!**

**Chapter 7: Tied Together With A Smile**

Haley and Nathan walked into the house, followed by some of Haley's brothers, and quickly met Haley's father, Jimmy, before Lydia turned to them and offered to show them to their rooms.

"Now, kids," Lydia said knowingly as the threesome ascended the stairs. "I wasn't born yesterday, and well, Haley is my eighth child, so I think I know how these things work. I have put you in the same room, just like your sisters and Brendan. That should be more comfortable than sneaking around late at night, huh?" Lydia laughed at her own joke, before opening the door to a bedroom complete with a bathroom, large bed, and television set.

"Mom!" Haley's voice came out as squeaky, "Nathan and I aren't together…in that way! We're just friends! I told you that!"

Lydia looked unperturbed. Nathan guessed raising eight children helped her learn not to sweat the small stuff. "Well, Haley-Bop, I'm sorry, but all the rooms are filled. Your three brothers are all sharing a room, and I have the grandkids bunking by age and gender, then couples are all sharing. Sorry, kid." She grinned quickly, "I'll let you two settle in," she said, giving Haley a hard hug before leaving the couple alone.

Immediately, Haley turned to Nathan. "Nathan, I am so sorry about this. I can just bunk with one of my sisters-"

"And their husbands?" Nathan asked with a grin.

"Or my brothers!"

"Haley," Nathan laughed, tossing his duffle on a chair near the window. "It's fine. It's a huge bed. If you want, I can even stack some pillows in between us so we don't accidentally touch during the night," he mocked.

Haley still looked uncertain. "Are you sure this is okay?"

"It's fine." His eyes bore into hers, quickly turning the moment serious. "Promise."

"Okay," Haley heard herself whisper softly, not breaking eye contact. But as quickly as the strange moment had come, it left.

"Okay," Nathan repeated, shaking his head quickly and adopting a smile. "Let's go do this Haley James."

Taylor and Chris were not expected until the following day, having just gotten back from their honeymoon that day. Therefore, Haley felt herself being able to relax and enjoy her family in a way that she feared she would not be able to do with Chris around.

After the noisiest cookout dinner that Nathan had ever been a part of, Haley's sisters Quinn and Vivien stood up, took the one-year-old Henry from Haley's lap and deposited him in Mark's arms before proposing a walk with their sister.

Haley looked uneasily to Nathan. "No," she turned her sisters down. "I don't think I need a walk. Maybe later."

"Haley-Bop," Vivien whined. "I want to have girl talk. And I need some time with my favorite sisters!"

Quinn wacked her arm good-naturedly and muttered, "Not in front of the company!"

Vivien did not seem repentant at all over leaving Taylor out of the list of her favorite sisters. Haley glanced at Nathan questioningly again.

Nathan smiled encouragingly. "I will be fine, Hales. I have interacted with people in social situations before, you know."

The group laughed and Haley stood to join her sisters. She glanced back at Nathan as the trio walked away, and he grinned at her again.

Suddenly, Haley's six brothers stood, and Mark handed the baby off to his grandmother. "Scott," Mark said. "You interested in playing a friendly game of basketball?"

Nathan nodded his acquiescence. "Sure," he stood, moving to follow the other six men.

"Although I don't know how 'friendly' it is to play basketball with an NBA player," Phil complained.

The group made its way to the small basketball court located not far from the house. Brendan bounced the ball on the way over, and the brothers joked with each other playfully.

But when they got to the court, the group rounded on Nathan quickly. Brendan stepped forward, the oldest James boy, and Haley's oldest brother.

Nathan was not liking the way this basketball game was going so far.

"Look, Scott," Brendan's voice came clipped and impatient. "We don't have a lot of time or energy to expend on you, here. Our main beef this week is with that asshole, Keller. But just because we are focusing on him, that doesn't mean we aren't watching you. It doesn't mean that you are off the hook. And it certainly doesn't mean that if you hurt our sweet baby sister, we won't kick you ass. Understood?"

Nathan refused to be intimidated by these men, but he could certainly respect the fact that Haley's brothers were so protective of her. "Understood," he said calmly. "You should know, Haley and I are just friends, and I care about her a lot. I would never intentionally hurt her."

"You better not unintentionally hurt her either," Matt or Josh (they looked too much alike for Nathan to tell at this point) stepped forward menacingly. "You may play for the NBA, but there are six of us. We could kick your ass."

"Duly noted," Nathan said politely. "I will not hurt your sister."

"Good," Brendan said with a note of finality. "Now that we've finished our business, we can have some fun. You can now be part of the James guys."

Nathan nodded appreciatively. "I just have one question." He looked around the group. "Are you guys going to let Chris Keller be part of this little group?"

"Ugh, hell no," Phil answered. "And Mr. James can never be part of it, either." He stole the ball from Brendan and dribbled it down the court.

"My dad scared the bejeezus out of him when he found out that Viv was pregnant before they tied the knot. He threatened to cut off Phil's balls if he ditched Vivien before the wedding," Colin shared, answering Nathan's unspoken question.

"Ouch," Nathan winced.

"Yeah," Colin laughed. "My dad never really warmed to Phil the way he did with Mark, Quinn's husband. Phil is always trying to suck up to him, but it doesn't work at all. My dad hates his guts."

"Alright, ladies," Phil yelled from down the court, where he and Mark were tossing the ball back and forth. "Enough chit-chat. Let's get this game on. Pick teams."

"I call Nathan!" three voices came at once, as the men laughed and played as friendly game of basketball as seven men could muster.

**Please review! I will promise to be the life-slave of you all. **


	8. Fix You

A/N: I don't own OTH or the title of the chapter, which comes from the song by Coldplay.

**Chapter 8: Fix You**

When the boys finally came in from their game, the house was quiet. The rest of the group walked into the house, but seeing a lone figure sitting on the beach, and being able to tell it was Haley even from far away, Nathan shook her hands with the brothers and excused himself to get Haley.

She was leaning back on her hands, looking towards the water and letting the wind comb through her long, honeyed hair. Dropping a kiss on the top of her head, then plopping down next to her, Nathan grinned as Haley shrieked at being surprised in her contemplations.

"You scared me!" Haley chided, laughing at Nathan's unapologetic grin. She turned her body to face him, hugging her knees with her arms. "How was the basketball game? Did my brothers round up and attack you?"

"Nah," Nathan shrugged. "They're all really good guys."

"Oh, please," Haley scoffed. "They still threaten Lucas whenever they see him and he has known my family forever."

"Oh, I mean, they threatened me, don't get me wrong," Nathan said easily. "But after I assured them we were just friends, and that I only had your best intentions at heart, we got along really well. They are really nice guys."

Haley ignored the unexpected pang she felt as Nathan emphasized that they were only friends, and forced her mouth into a smile. "I wouldn't think Lucas would agree with that!"

"I think I got off easy," Nathan admitted, "since they're focusing all their energy on Keller."

Haley's face darkened instantly. "Yeah," she said shortly.

Nathan turned and smiled at her sadly. "How are you doing?"

Haley laughed without mirth. "I think I may have been crazy to come here. The last time I saw Chris-at his wedding to my sister-he told me he still loved me. I feel like I keep walking into these traps he's set, you know? And he's my brother-in-law now! I will never be able to escape him."

"Of course you will," Nathan answered soothingly.

"I just feel so foolish, like I let Brooke talk me into this dumb idea. Or like I let my mom guilt me."

Nathan gripped her hand in his and squeezed gently. "You certainly aren't foolish, and I think it's brave that you came. You shouldn't have to feel separated from your family because of Chris Keller. Sure, it will be awkward at first, but you're Haley James! Plus, as my favorite tutor once told me, 'Believing in yourself is half the battle.' Or something like that."

Haley blinked, touched. "You remember that?"

Nathan shrugged to hide his sudden embarrassment. "You were my hottest tutor."

Haley shook her head and smiled. "You're such a nice guy, Nathan. But you try to cover it up by acting like a jerk."

"Hey," Nathan protested. "I love getting called hot. I thought you would enjoy it as well."

Haley laughed despite herself. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me take my mind off Chris for a minute."

Nathan smiled widely. "That's what I'm here for, Hales." They stared out at the ocean in silence for a few minutes, before Nathan stood, offering his hand to Haley. "Come on," he encouraged. "Let's go in. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. And I need a shower."

Haley took his hand and allowed him to help her up. They walked to the house together in amiable silence, and Haley began to get ready for bed as Nathan moved to take a shower. Distracted with the unpacking, she didn't hear the shower turn off until after Nathan opened the connecting door.

She turned, placing some folded shirts in the dresser drawer. "Oh," she cried in surprise, clutching her heart with her hand. "You scared me!"

Nathan, dressed in basketball shorts with a white towel slung over his shirtless shoulder, grinned apologetically. "Sorry, Hales. So," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as his eyes trailed over her pajama-clad body. "Ready for bed?"

Haley blushed. "You are putting a shirt on before you are getting into that bed with me."

"What," Nathan laughed, "are you afraid you won't be able to control yourself?" Tossing the towel at Haley in a playful maneuver, he climbed into bed, turned the cover over on the opposite side, and patted invitingly.

"Nathan Scott!" Haley sputtered, letting the towel fall to the floor. "You are a menace!"

Nathan scoffed, still smiling. "Come on, Haley. Don't act like you've never had a half-naked man in your bed. I mean, sure, probably not as an attractive specimen as I am, but still."

Haley only blushed harder, muttering something incomprehensible that Nathan was sure was not complimentary as she reached for the towel, folding it brusquely and hanging it up in the bathroom. She stomped back into the room, climbing into bed next to Nathan. "I better not wake up to find you trying to spoon me."

"I'm not making any promises," Nathan laughed as Haley sighed dramatically and turned off the lamp. "Goodnight," he said in a deceptively sweet voice.

Haley sighed again. "Goodnight."

Nathan awoke the next morning to find Haley already gone. He scrubbed his hand through his hair and over his face, before throwing a shirt on, and padding his way down the stairs. Instead of just Haley greeting him, as he realized was an inappropriate expectation, an assortment of the James family was helping themselves to the breakfast buffet laid out.

"Nathan!" Lydia said warmly. "How are you? How did you sleep? I trust Haley didn't keep you awake half the night, huh?" she winked conspiratorially at Nathan as Haley groaned loudly.

Six pairs of male eyes shot quickly towards Nathan's face to discern not only his reaction to the question, but also the answer.

"No, no," Nathan muttered quickly, not just to clear up any confusion, but also for self preservation, as he watched the group that made up Haley's brothers and brothers-in-law stare him down steadily. "I slept," he emphasized, "just fine. Soundly, really. Thank you, Mrs. James."

"Mom," Haley complained. "What did I tell you earlier? Nathan and I are friends; we are just friends!"

"Yeah, Mom," Vivien agreed. "Leave Haley-Bop alone."

"My goodness," Lydia held up both of her hands in an over-dramatic gesture Haley was sure she had seen over a million times, "I surrender! I will try my best not to embarrass my Haley!" She walked around the group of Haley's four brothers and two brothers-in-law, all of whom still stared at Nathan someone edgily. "Now boys," Lydia addressed the men. "Remember what we talked about. You must be nice to your sister's new husband-and for that matter, your sister-when they come today!"

Brendan looked around the group with a convincing impression of confusion. "But Mom," he asked, keeping his face carefully innocent, "aren't we always nice to Quinn and Mark?"

Lydia shot him a warning glance that showed her practice with insolence as a mother of eight, that she complimented with a motherly smack across Brendan's skull. She didn't even need to say anything.

"Okay," Brendan muttered, sullenly. Though in his thirties, he did not disregard the importance of Lydia's Warning Glance. "Geez, I was just kidding, Mom!"

Lydia raised her eyebrows in disbelief, then continued her Special Mother's Glance until it had fully reached all her sons and sons-in-law. "Just all of you keep in mind," she said firmly, "that my very lovely grandchildren are here and you should are set a good example for them in every way. And," she added, as if an afterthought, "I have dirt on each and every single one of you. So if you cross me, there will be trouble."

Though Nathan expected the six men to laugh at the absurd statement, none of them did. In fact, each of them wore a faintly terrified expression that caused Nathan to choke back on a laugh.

"Alright," Lydia clapped her hands in a way that reminded Nathan of the Boy Scout leaders he used to have and their emphasis on their schedule. "Everyone, eat up! Day One of James Games will commence at exactly 11 in the morning. We start with the three-legged race. You may pick your teams…" she paused for dramatic effect, "now!"

Josh and Matt immediately started arguing in such a way that Nathan felt that he should either intercede or find out what they were fighting about so he could steal the winner. Finally, he decided to ask Haley, "What are they fighting about?"

Haley took a sip of her coffee, adopting a bored expression. "Oh, normally," she said, "the way the James family does teams for events such as the three-legged race is by couples. Taylor and I usually pair up, and then the three boys, Matt, Josh, and Colin, have to decide who is with each other and who is with my dad. Since my dad sucks at athletic sports, and therefore sucks at James Games, the argument is usually about who is forced to partner up with my dad. But this year, Vivien is pregnant, which means she can't play, and therefore her husband Phil is without a partner. Since Phil is afraid of my dad, he called Colin as his teammate a while ago. My dad refuses to partner up with Chris for the games because he hates him, so Matt and Josh are now arguing about who has to partner up with my dad, and who has to do so with Chris." She paused, slightly breathless at the explanation of the chaos that was her family. "It's pretty much a lose/lose situation in my opinion, because both my dad and Chris aren't really all that athletic, but the boys are fighting over who gets my dad this year because they both don't want to be attached to Chris for that long a time!"

Nathan ingested the information Haley had given him regarding the James family and their quirks. "So," he paused dramatically, taking Haley's hand in his own and leaning over it to make up the difference in their heights. "Haley James, I have a very important question to ask you."

Haley's brow furrowed, and her gaze shot back and forth between Nathan's own visage and the hand he used to entrap her own. "You do?"

Nathan nodded seriously. "Yes, I do. And because this may be one of the most serious questions of my life, Hales, I would like you to answer honestly. Do you think," he paused again, increasing the dramatic suspense, "you would be able to be my partner for the James Games, Haley James?"

Haley laughed, her confused expression instantly replaced by one of amusement. "Yeah," she wiggled her eyebrows funnily, "I actually think everyone already assumes that we will be partners, silly! The boys kept trying to figure out teams for weeks, and, believe it or not, no one was really fighting for me." She glanced wryly at him. "Are you sure you still want me, knowing that everyone in my family has glanced over me as even having the possibility of being a viable team member?" Her tone was mocking, but Nathan sensed some need of hers to be comforted by the fact that, as the youngest, and as Chris Keller's ex-girlfriend, Haley had been rejected time and again. Therefore, he took it upon himself, though it was not in his nature to do so, to assuage her fears.

Therefore, placing a serious look in his eye that had never really felt at home there before, Nathan looked at Haley and said, "Well, I will always want you on my team, Hales."

Haley felt a shiver of pleasure at his words.

And then, the worst happened. She knew she should have been prepared for it. Actually, she thought she was prepared for it. Intellectually, she knew that the inevitable was about to come to her doorstep and she would have to face it.

But emotionally, when it did come, she felt suddenly empty and distraught at the same time.

"Hey, Haley," came a soft voice.

Haley turned, and looked into the face she had been dreading since the wedding: the face of Chris Keller.

**Please review!**


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